Stamp-vending machine



Jan. 7, 1930. VARNER Er 1,742,977

STAMP VENDING MACHINE 'Filed Dec. 1928 2 Sbeets-$heet 1 1 .1 N VE N TOR Dav/a E l arner' 7 BY Ed ar' nip/72 1.

fi$MATTORNEY Patented Jan. 7, 1 930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE DAVID nvAnNER AND nGAn w. PRICE, or" WICHITA, KANSAS, ASSIGNOBS TO THE a SIMPLEX VENDING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF KANSAS STAMP-VENDING MACHINE Application filed. December 3,1928. Serial No. 323,333.

This invention relates to coin controlled vending machines and particularly to a machine for vending sheets and the like. It is particularly adapted to vend stamps. Ordi- 5 narily, stamps are vended from machines in multiples of one, usually two two cent stamps for five cents or'four onecent stamps for five cents.

Prior to our invention it has generally been in the form of rolls and to cut the strip tofeed the proper number of stamps from the machine. According to our. invention the stamps are folded in multiples of one, for 5 denomination of the stamp. The folded edges are ejected in advance of the rest of the stamp. The device can be operated upon the presentation of a coin, check ortoken of.

proper denomination or valiief and means is provided for ejecting spurious coins, checks or tokens before they enter the operating mechanism of the machine.v 1

. The novelty of the invention will be clearly understood by reference to the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a completed machine.

Fig. 2 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of the operating mechanism, showing the coin, check or token, hereinafter referred to as a coin,in position to permit operation of the ejecting mechanism.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the ejecting mechanism in a position to eject the sheets or stamps.

Fig. f

certain other parts, the stamp chute or receptacle being shown partly in elevation and partly in section, detached from'the case. v

Fig. 5 is a-detailed perspective View ofthe folded sheets or stamps and j Fig. 6 is a highly magnified view of one of the ejector needles.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, Idesignates a base having a flanged opening 2'to receive the two verticai halves 3 and 40f the casecontaining the custom to feed stamps from strips woundexample, two or four stamps, according to the is a rear view of the case, showing parts being broken away to better illustrate the ejecting and coin receiving mechanism. The case carries a stamp receptacle or shoot 5 provided with side flanges '6 and '7 and a bottom end 8 which fits in slots 9 in the top of the respective halves 3 and f of the case. Only one slot 9 is shownin Figure 4, in the half 3, the part- 4 being provided with a similar slot so that the stamp receptacle 5 can be fastened to'the two case members 3 and 4 and in turn tie them together by the flanges by securing the flanges to the two halves through the medium of the Screws 10 and 11. The

upper edge 12 of the bottom will be flush with the floor 13 of the delivery slot 1& (see Fig. 1). The two halves 3 and 1 carry flange members 15 and 16 so that the members will be-spaced apart to provide a coin receiving slot 17 and a delivery slot 18', the latter being to deliver an: unauthorized coin inserted in the slot 17 in a well understood manner. Within the case is a block or casting 19 having a lug 20 projecting toward the receiving slot 17 so that a coin of proper denomination will bridge thegap between the toe of the lug 20 and the edge 21 of the slot 17 and fall into the machine above the casting 19. A smaller coin will drop into the pan or slot 18. The part 4 of the casing carries a hub or bearing 22 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft 23 provided outside the casing with a crank 24. The shaft carries a right-angularly disposed arm 25 fast to the shaft 23 at about its middle portion. One end of the arm 25 is fastened to aratchet wheel 26 which constitutes a coin carrier and an ejector carrier. The other. end of the arm- 25 has a lug 2'7 in a'slot 28 in the web 29 of the wheel. A tension spring 30 is connected to the wheel and to the arm so as to tend to throw the center of the wheel to one sideof the center of the shaft 23. The wheel also and it is provided with an adjustable screw 33 to vary the width of the slot to provide for a coin 34 of proper size, it beingthe object to prevent the coin from entirely enteringthe' receptacle. The wheel also carries ejector pins 35 which project beyond its perimeter and which are adapted to eng'a .e the stamps. 36 the stamp receptacle 5 as eject themhas a coin receiving receptacle 31 provided I with a slot 32 in the perimeter of the wheel through the slot 14. There is a weight or folspring actuated .dog or pawl 40, the toe 41 of which tends to engage the ratchet teeth 42 on wheel 26 and the heel of which carries an adjusting screw 43 to maintain the toe of the pawl or dog in'prop'er relation to the teeth 42. The upper edges of the casting or block 19 is provided with an arcuate camming guideway 44-and there is a coil spring 45gwound around the hub 22 having one end bearing against an arm 46 on the wheel 26. and the other against the bracket 47 which supports the'casting 19 so that} when the handle or crank 24 turns the wheel into stamp ejecting position, the spring45 will return it back to its original position.

. In Fig. 6 we have shown one of theneedles on an enlarged scale designated at 35. It has,

a cone-shaped end 48 with a relatively sharper point 49. Not sharp enough, however, to penetrate thestamps but rather to impinge against them sufliciently to. force them out of the receptacle5 by indenting them. At the bottom of the case is a coin receiving pan 50 which is in the form ofadrawer provided with asuitable lock'as will be well understood.

When. the'stainps are in place and a coin isainser ted in the slot 17, it will be arrested from gravitating if it is of the proper de-.

nominationa'nd' size,.if not, it will drop into the slot or pan 18.; A proper coin, check or token will be receivedin the receptacle 7 '31 only partially, however, on account of the stop, or adjusting screw 33. The operator now turns the handle. 24 so that the wheel rotates in a clockwise direction. As it does,

the coin rides on the guide-Way 44 raising the forward part of the wheel so that its teeth will. be'engaged by the dog or pawl 40. Therefore, the release of the handle will not cause the wheel to return to its original po-v sition until the handle has moved around far enough tov cause the pins to engage the stamps and eject them. After the coin has passed over the heel 51 of the casting 19 and drops into the pan 50,'the spring 30 will pull the wheel out of engagement withthe ratchet pawl 40 and when'the coin has reached the depression 52 at the end of the guide-way 44,

it will drop into it so as to lock the wheel against returning until the cycle of operations is completed. As the wheel moves ina clock- .wise direction, it will put the part of the spring 45.bearing against the arm 46 under tensionso that alter the wheel or rotatable carrier has dropped out of engagement with the pawl 40, the spring 45 can rotate the wheel or rotatable carrier in contra-clockwise direction or in the positionsshown in Figure 2. Itwill therefore be :seen that the stamps can be eiiiciently and easily vended when a coin,

check or token of proper denomination or valve is inserted through the slot 17. When no coin is in the machine, the handle 24 can be turned turning the rotatable carrier and the parts supported-by it, but. the ro-.

members may be adjusted through the medium of the screw fastening device 53.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is r 1. A vending machine comprising a casing having a coin receiving slot and an article receptacle in combination with mechanism actuated by a coin for dispensing the articles from the receptacle, said mechanism comprising a shaft projectingthroughthe casing, a shaft actuating handle outside the casing, an

arm within the casing carried by the shaft, an ejector carrier e'ccentrically pivoted to the i arm, an ejector on the carrier, a coin receiving member on the carrier, a camming device below the carrier. in spaced relation thereto on which'thecoin will ride to urge the car'- rier into position to cause the ejector to"dis'- pei1se the articles from the receptacle.

2. A vending machineicomprising a casing having an article receptacle with an open ing through which the articles'can be vended and an ejecting mechanism consisting of a o rotatable shaft, an arm onthe shaft, a wheel eccentrically pivoted to the arm, ejector pins carried by the perimeter of the wheel, a cam mingdevice adjacent to the carrier in spaced.

relation thereto onwhich a coin, may ride to bringtheejecting pins into functional p0 sition,-a spring for normally resistingthe movement of the wheel about it's pivot and means for limiting the movement of the wheel. I V t t 3. A vending machine comprising a casing having an article receptacle with an opening through which the articles can bef've'n'ded andan ejecting mechanism consisting of a' rotatable shaft, an arm on the shaft, a wheel eccentrically pivoted to the arm, ejector pins carried by the perimeter of the wheel, a camming device adjacent to the carrier in spaced relationthereto on which a coin. may ride to bring theejecting pins into functional posi tion, a spring for normall' resisting the.

movement of the wheel a ut its pivot, means for limiting the "movement ofilthe wheel-and a non-return means for the wheel efi'ective only when the wheel swings in one direction. i v I 4. A vending machine comprising a casing having anarticle receptacle provided with an opening through which the articles can be.

vended, a shaft in the casing, an armlon the shaft,-a wheel eccentrically pivoted to'the arm, a rigid member below the wheel having a cam surface in spaced relation with the wheel, means on the wheel for receiving a coin to ride over the camming surface to swing the wheel into functional position and ejecting means on the wheel.

5. A vending machine comprising a casing having an article receptacle provided with an opening through which the articles can be vended, a shaft in the casing, an arm on the shaft, a wheel eccentrically pivoted to the arm, a rigid member below the wheel having a cam surface in spaced relation with the wheel, means on the wheel for receiving a coin to ri le over the camming surface to swing the wheel into functional position, ejecting means on the wheel, ratchet teeth on the wheel and a pawl carried by the casing to engage the teeth only when the wheel is swung into functional position, the pawl permitting the wheel to rotate in one direction only while the coin is riding on the cam.

6. A vending machine comprising a cas-' ing having an article receiving shoot provided with an opening through which the articles can be vended, a rotatable member inside the casing, means outside the casing for rotating it, a wheel eccentrically pivoted on the rotating member, a cam device in spaced relation with the wheel, means on the wheel to receive a coin to bridge the space and ride upon the cam to swing the wheel about its pivot into functional position, an ejector on the periphery of the wheel for forcing articles through the opening of the shoot and a return spring for reversing the rotation of the rotatable member after it has been rotated in one direction.

7 A vending machine comprising a casing having an article receiving shoot provided with an opening through which the articles can be vended, a rotatable member inside the casing, means outside the casing for rotating it, a wheel eccentrically pivoted on the rotating member, a cam device in spaced relation with the wheel, means on the wheel to receive a coin to bridge the space and ride upon the cam to swlng the wheel about its plvot into functional position, an ejector on the periphcry of the wheel for forcing articles through the opening of the shoot, a return spring for reversing the rotation of the rotatable member after it has been rotated in one direction and a pawl for engaging the wheel while in functional position to prevent rotation of the wheel while the coin is riding on the cam.

8. A vending machine comprising a casing having an article receptacle provided with a slot through which the articles can be ejected, a shaft projecting through the casing, an arm on the shaft, a wheel eccentrically pivoted on the arm, a lug on the arm receivedin a slot in the wheel, ejector pins carried by the wheel, ratchet teeth on the wheel, a pawl for intermittently engaging the ratchet teeth, a camming device below the carrier in spaced rela- 7 tion thereto on which a coin may ride to cause the wheel to swing on its pivot to a position to engage the articles to be ejected and to cause the ratchet teeth to engage the pawl and means for rotating the shaft in one direction.

9. A vending machine comprising a casing having an article receptacle provided with a slot through which the articles can be ejected, a shaft projecting through the casing, an arm on the shaft, a wheel eccentrically pivoted on the arm, a lug on the arm received in aslot in the wheel, ejector pins carried by the wheel, ratchet teeth on the wheel, a pawl for intermittently engaging the ratchet teeth, a camming device below the carrier in spaced relation thereto on which a coin may ride to cause the wheel to swing on its pivot to a position to engage the articles to be ejected and to cause the ratchet teeth to engage the pawl, means for rotating the shaft in one direction and a spring for reversing the direction of the rotation of the wheel.

In'testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

DAVID E. VARNER. EDGAR W. PRICE. 

